Mental Floss

POP CULTURE

Cute, cuddly, and controversial.

For a gaming series revolving around adorable little monsters, Pokémon has had a number of run-ins with racial stereotypes, Nazi imagery, and seizure-inducing animation.

Paul Cecchini








Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's (green) Monster in James Whale's Frankenstein (1931).

In the more than 200 years since Mary Shelley’s 'Frankenstein' helped shape the horror genre as we know it today, there have been dozens of interpretations of Frankenstein’s Monster. But when and why did he become green?

April Snellings
Daniel Craig stars in No Time to Die (2021).

Six decades, 25 films, six actors, and billions of dollars in box office later, and we're still talking about James Bond, his literary legacy, and his big screen adventures.

Matthew Jackson






Mando (Pedro Pascal) surrounded by Baby Yoda and the Frog Lady in from The Mandalorian.

The irresistible combination of classic Star Wars action with the added bonus of a seriously darling miniaturized Yoda-esque creature has made 'The Mandalorian' a hit.

Kinsey Gidick


Keith Morrison discusses Dateline NBC in New York City.

This year marks the 30th season of NBC’s 'Dateline.' To celebrate, here’s what you need to know about the show’s early days, how “To Catch a Predator” came to be, the show’s pivot to true crime, and what Keith Morrison really thinks of Bill Hader’s impres

Erin McCarthy






Will Forte plays the title role in MacGruber (2010).

'MacGruber,' the 'MacGyver'-inspired send-up of 1980s action movies, transformed a one-joke Saturday Night Live sketch into one of the best smart-dumb comedies of the last two decades.

Todd Gilchrist


Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany star in WandaVision on Disney+.

'WandaVision,' which details the domestic bliss of Marvel superheroes Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), introducing the world to Phase Four of the Marvel Extended Universe.

Scott Beggs
(L-R): Corey Stoll, Damian Lewis, David Costabile, Kelly AuCoin, Maggie Siff, Asia Kate Dillon, Condola Rashad, Paul Giamatti, and Jeffrey DeMunn are at each other's throats in Billions.

'Billions' is the perfect show about God-like wealth and our complicated feelings about those who wield it at a divisive time in American history.

Scott Beggs